How To Tuesday

I’m trying out something new- How To Tuesdays. Every Tuesday, we will explore how to do something new or maybe even something not so new. This in no way is to show that I am an expert on anything. But I do know some things and what I don’t, well, I want to learn. So let’s get started, shall we?

How To Make Steamed Mussels.

I love steamed mussels and order them often when dining out (The Gage is my fav for mussels, FYI). A mini activity, I love digging the little guys out and dunking crusty bread in the sauce. Ryan and I saw this two-pound bag for 5 bucks at the grocery and decided it was time to take matters (mussels?) into our own hands.

Step 1: sauté half an onion, at least 6 cloves of garlic and a splash of extra virgin olive oil.

I crushed 2 of the cloves in a garlic press so the flavor mixed in a bit more but leave some whole- a steamed garlic clove is one of the best parts.

On medium heat, cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes, letting the wine and broth make a sauce that will steam open the mussels and tomatoes. Season the mixture with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, basil, whatever you want. I don’t think it’s possible to mess this up- the more favors, the better!

Step 3: after 10 minutes, add a handful of spinach.

Let it steam for 4 or 5 minutes. When the mussels have opened and the pot smells amazing, remove from heat, pour with the sauce into a serving bowl and serve with good crusty bread. We had some hard cheese (Parmesan) on hand and that worked nicely as well.

This was dinner on Sunday night and we loved it. I have a feel we are going to be super critical when we order mussels out now….